Dr. Suparno Adijanto, Executive Chairman and CEO
Dr Suparno Adijanto was appointed to our Board on 13 November 2009 and oversees the overall operations of our Group. He is also a managing director of the Bumi Raya Group since 1992 and is in charge of the plantation division. Prior to this appointment, Dr Suparno Adijanto held several positions in the Bumi Raya Group, as a Manager in charge of finance and business development from 1990 to 1992, and as a management trainee from 1989 to 1990. From 1987 to 1989, Dr Suparno Adijanto was the President of Westpont International Trading Company, a US trading company that deals in commodities between S.E.A and the USA. From 1994 to 2006, he was the non-executive director of Australia-listed Energy World Corporation Limited. Dr Suparno Adijanto is currently a Commissioner for Indonesia-listed PT Resource Alam Indonesia Tbk, where his responsibilities relate mainly to the supervision of its directors in ensuring that the company's mission, vision and objectives are met. Dr Suparno Adijanto graduated with a Bachelor of Science, Economics (Honours) from the University College London, University of London. He holds a Masters in Business Administration from the Bradford Management Centre, University of Bradford, England and a Doctor of Philosophy from the College of Business Administration, Georgia State University, USA.
Thomas Agap Lim, Chief Operating Officer and Executive Director
Mr Lim was appointed to our Board on 16 March 2010 and has been overseeing the cultivation of our palm oil plantation and the daily operations of our palm oil mill since 1996. Mr Lim is also the regional managing director of the Bumi Raya Group's operations in West Kalimantan, Indonesia, where he was in charge of the timber estate business of PT Sinar Kalbar Raya since 1994. From 1990 to 1994, Mr Lim was the president director of our Group's subsidiary PT Prakarsa. He is also a Commissioner for Indonesia-listed PT Resource Alam Indonesia Tbk. Mr Lim graduated with a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Tanjungpura, Pontianak. He also holds a Master in Management from University of Tanjungpura, Pontianak.
Yee Kit Hong, Lead Independent Director
Mr Yee was appointed to our Board on 16 March 2010. He is an auditor by profession and has been an audit partner with Kit Yee & Co, a firm of certified public accountants providing audit, accountancy and taxation services since 1989. From 1982 to 1989, Mr Yee was an audit/ tax manager with Ernst & Young in Singapore, where he was responsible for the audit and taxation for small and medium size enterprises. In 2003, Mr Yee was awarded the Public Service Medal by the President of Singapore. Mr Yee graduated with a Bachelor in Accountancy from the National University of Singapore and is an associate member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, England & Wales and a member of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Singapore (ICPAS). He is also currently a full member of the Singapore Institute of Directors. Mr Yee also sits on the Board of another listed company as its non-executive chairman.
M. Rajaram, Independent Director
Mr Rajaram was appointed to our Board on 16 March 2010. He is a lawyer by profession and is currently the Senior Director of Straits Law Practice LLC, where he heads the banking and corporate finance department and the India practice group. Mr Rajaram is an Advocate and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Singapore, a Solicitor of England and Wales and a Fellow in the Singapore Institute of Arbitrators and the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. From 2004 to 2008, he was the chairman of the Singapore Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry. In 2009, Mr Rajaram was awarded the Public Service Medal by the President of the Republic of Singapore. He has been the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Mali in Singapore since 1999, and is currently the vice-chairman of International Relations in the Singapore Business Federation. Mr Rajaram graduated with a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) (Honours) from the National University of Singapore in 1978 and obtained a Masters in Business Administration from the Maastricht School of Management in 1998. He also sits on the Board of two other listed companies in Singapore and is nonexecutive chairman of one of the said listed companies.
Guok Chin Huat Samuel, Independent Director
Mr Guok was appointed to our Board on 16 March 2010. He has been a director of Starhealth Pte. Ltd - a Singaporebased importer and distributor of health and medical products - since 1995 and currently sits on the boards of two Singapore-listed companies, Bukit Sembawang Estates Limited and Japan Land Limited. He has over 20 years of experience in investment banking, venture capital and private equity businesses. Mr Guok was also on the board of Seed Venture Limited, a venture capital fund from 1993 to 2002, held the positions of CEO and director of Time Watch Investments Limited (then known as Wee Poh Holdings Limited), a company listed on the Catalist Bourse of the SGX-ST from 1998 to 2001, and worked at Nomura Singapore Limited from 1986 to 1989. Mr Guok holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Boston University with Majors in Finance and International Economics, Minor in Chemistry.